I’ve seen pictures from the Boardman tree farm before, and I immediately resolved to see it for myself. When I heard it is to be chopped down and replaced with cow farms, I knew I needed to make this beautiful place a priority.

I absolutely love autumn. I love the colors and the smells, the feel of the cooler weather setting in for winter to cleanse us of the past year and blossom anew into spring. This is the perfect time of year to visit a tree farm – when rows upon rows of erect bark stand in stark contrast against the fires of fall.

We caught Boardman at the perfect time. The colors were at their most beautiful, and I was easily lost amidst mother nature’s stunning handiwork.

This location has been photographed many times in the past, so I wanted to find something different to do. Sure, I did the cliche shots down the rows of trees and looking up at the sky from below, but I also played with a few other ideas.

The first was long exposures with the trees. I tried simple motion left-to-right, and it created an interesting blur, but it wound up looking like more of a mistake than artistic.

Next, I tried moving vertically with the tree trunks. This created a unique effect where the trunks and leaves look more painted. I kind of like this abstract view of the farm.

I also loved the leading lines that rows of trees offer the viewer, drawing the eyes into the distance. To emphasize this (and to experiment with something I’ve been wanting to try for a while now), I did some zoom blurs. These are long exposures while actively zooming. I found with my particular lens that it was easier to zoom out (rotating downward with my left hand as I triggered the shutter) during the exposure. This technique provided some very dramatic effects.

Finally, I played around with keeping the camera still and instead moving myself… the ghost in the trees.

Which technique do you like best? Have you ever tried any of these yourself?